It was great to see so many people at The Riverside Woodbridge last Sunday when we gathered together to meet Matt the Cartoonist. And he was such a treat!
Despite more than 30 years at the top of his game, he seems a very humble, unassuming and warm individual who has a rather infectious laugh and twinkling eyes. He clearly likes to tell a story and has a great memory for the punchlines of his cartoons from years gone by.
There was lots of laughter and I think everyone left feeling so much lighter and happier through spending time listening to Matt.
So next Sunday we will be at The Riverside again. This time meeting to hear the printmaker Angela Harding talk to us about her life and work - the places she's been and the people she's met.
Angela creates stunning pictures, but she also gets into a few scrapes as she explores the countryside for inspiration, and she tells some good stories. She's great fun!
If you haven't got your ticket, please scroll down for more details or go to The Riverside website here.
I can assure you this is another author event which will prove the perfect tonic for a dark, cold wintry day! And we'll have lots of ideas for Christmas gifts too with Angela Harding merchandise, stationery and advent calendars on sale on the day.
It's always interesting to hear from writers and artists about their lives and what prompts their creativity. But this week I've been aware of the encroaching threat of artificial intelligence (AI). Will they all soon be made redundant?!
I was listening to the 'Off Air...with Jane and Fi' podcast and was taken aback by one of their experiments. These two broadcasters had decided to test the reach of AI, for their own curiousity, and had typed in a request for a children's story. They read out the result on their programme - AI had answered all of their very particular and idiosyncratic requirements and had created a story which was engaging and humorous, and had done so in very little time. What does this mean for storytelling in the future?
This struck a chord because I had also interviewed an illustrator recently. She had shared with me how digitalisation had changed the way she worked, but AI may have even more impact. She had responded by taking time out of her working week to return to traditional methods of making art, for her own creative well being. It had caused her to view the future with more optimism.
"It’s part of the human condition to imagine, to create art. If we relinquish that to machines, what are we left with?” she said. “There will always be space for work that celebrates the maker’s touch."
So I hope you'll join me in meeting Angela Harding next week to cherish her stunning artwork and her engaging and entertaining storytelling!
Thank you for reading.